66 pages • 2 hours read
Sigrid UndsetKristin Lavransdatter
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1920A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
What is the significance of Kristin’s first trip out of the valley in which she was raised? In Book 3, she returns to the valley of Jørundgaard. How have her experiences changed her, and how is this reflected in her perspective as she returns to the place of her childhood?
Gunnulf is Erlend’s brother, but they appear as opposites in many ways. How does Gunnulf meet some of Kristin’s emotional needs that Erlend is unable to meet, and what does this reveal about the character of Erlend?
To what extent is Lavrans an example for other religious people to follow?
How does the symbolic meaning of Kristin’s wedding crown change over the course of the novel? What does it mean for her to give the crown to the church as she enters the convent?
How does Kristin’s understanding of sin shape her choices? How does this understanding change over the course of her life?
Simon experiences great success, but he is haunted by his unrequited love. What does his unhappiness suggest about the cost of pursuing honor and social duty above all else?
How does the novel depict an ongoing negotiation between Christian doctrine and the older pagan beliefs that Christianity seeks to supplant? Under what circumstances do pagan practices reemerge, and what does this reveal about the perceived value of these practices?
The suffering Erlend endures after the failed conspiracy against the king suggests that his impetuous character has a significant cost. To what degree are his actions vindicated by the political developments that occur a few years later?
Which of Kristin’s sons experiences the greatest happiness? Whose life is the most tragic? What do their varied lives reveal about the novel’s understanding of how to live well?
To what extent does Kristin achieve absolution at the end of the novel? Who has the authority to grant absolution? How has her understanding of sin, goodness, and duty changed?
